The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-08-19
WHOLE NO. 945.

This old negro now remembered the service
rs he heard of the plan to seize Sofia, and
when his master was asleep he glided
softly out and in short time stood at the
road by which Yeorgio must pass US lie left
the house of his betrothed
Before long Yeorgio came out and went
his way home with lighter step than is
usual with the unfortunate Bulgarians, and
the old man called his name softly, and then
they drew aside into the deep slrubbery
while the Nubian told the unhappy man of the
plan to carry Sofia off i'll the morning, and.
after divulging tine plot, told the despairing
lover of the plan he had formed to save them
both from Rassims vengeance and also to
protect Sofas friends from disaster, such as
would surely fall upon them had the young
couple attempted to escape His plan was
that Yeorgio was to return to the farm and
tell Sofia, the farmer and his wife of the dam
ger and to persuade Sofia to take the powder
which he gave Yeorgio. This powder would
produce sleep SO sound that it would come
like death, and that she would remain in that
lethargy for forty eight hours, and then she
would awake as well as ever.
She must take the powder and all her
friends must bewail her as dead, and she
must be buried at sunset the next day. As
soon us it was dark the Nubian would pro-
vide n Turkish arabah, or carriage, aud q
full suit of Turkish womens clothes, veil and
ALL and she could travel thus from one end
of the country to another without molesta-
tion The cemetery was easy of access, the
bodies always very lightly covered with
earth, and it would be a very simple matter
for Yeorgio to disinter her and place her in
the arabah. and they could go to place lie
would signify and his friends would take
them to Servia, where they would be safe
from pursuit The old negro put small
package in Yeorgios hand which was of
silk and which contained a box and some-
thing very heavy.
aDo not hesitate, my son." said he. II only
give you what do not need, and you will
have to have money. only beg this of you:
that YOU will teach your children to love and
pray for the old man. Now go; you will not
see me again, as I dare not absent myself,
but you will find the arabah 10y the brook
Just beyond the cemetery, and i'll it you will
find a suit of Turkish clothes for yourself and
for Sofia I will send two faithful attend
ants, one woman and one man, and you will
travel slowly, as do the Turks, and if you are
questioned you will say that it is one of
Rassim Bey's wives who is going to visit her
mother. And now, geodby, and may Allah
protect you and your bride"
And with these words the old man glided
away without having been seen. The next
morning the Whole village was thrown into
commo,ion by the news of the sudden death
of Sofia and the despair of Yeorsio, who sat
bowed and silent by the dead body of her
be loved and the priests and the mourners
came. and neightors fIocked in TO look at the
dead girl, now pale and cold; and when the
bey's minons Came to drag her away they
found but marble cold corpse, and in face
of the sublime presence of death they with
drew.
The village doctor said that she had died
from excess of joy and the "evil eye" This
latter set the people thinking and wondering
who could have cast the "evil eye" upon her,
and they naturally supposed that it was Ras-
sim Bey, who had sent to add her to bis
harem, already peopled with unwilling vic
Tins, and this young girls death famed the
fame of suppressed hatred against the Turks
fiercer than ever.
Yeorgio was intensely frightened, for he
feared that Sofia could never awake from
such death ike trance, and his agony at the
thought that she might be dead i'll reality was
all the more terrible, as he could not share it
with any one. The day waned and Sofia was
burie,l at sunset, AMI the icy cold body was
laid in its shallow grave; and when the peo-
Pile had gone Yeoigio returned and knelt by
The new made grave Friends tried to draw
him away but he begged them to leave him
there pray; nj they retired, leaving him
beside ih,. iir:I mound. and as soon as the
shades OF night had fallen around him he set
IN, ksnrE win h.cta viii har
hands he tore away the earth which barely
covered the thin fin, according to their
habit @. burial, and before long he had drawn
her inanimate form from the frail box
Hardly had he finished when he heard the
slow eaking of the araball, and in few
minutes low hiss was given and soon the
body of Sofia was placed inside and Yeorgio
donned the Turkish costume which was hand
ed him i'll silence; and then he took his posi-
tion as driver ai,! started away as rapidly as
the VIII te oxen could 60
III the meantime the woman and man ill-
side the arahah began rubbing her hands and
pressing her chest and forcing some liquid
furnished them hy the Nubian into her
mouth, and at last these attentions took
effect, and Sofia slowly recovered her breath;
the rnde joliing Of the arabah helping ma
terlaliy III r,sto ing warmth and circulation
As soon as She trsin To >fox sg.is of re-
turning lfe Y+r.io WAS told nnl lie went on
WI h. iirii. ne, heart ytl feari,tg discovery,
f0i lie knew too wall that if R;t>sini Bpy on
any of his suhnr.inaies should discover that
Sofia WIS iii alive she won! he pursued
and every soul in The village b., bitterly pun
ished for he ,irep tiat.
So he protid.4l he patient oxen to such
good effect lhat by dashreak he was many
miles away. According to the custom of the
country he stopped Mt n small village and
there ex 'halIye,i his tired oxai for fie,iInr
ones E'He during to refuse what they sup
posed Ritssiin's ORDERS and they obtained
some warm mix which with the food in tho
arahah stI-t! 80. them.
Sofia efcw letter every hour, and now
Yaorgio took turns in sitting in the aralmi,
:yhen they were oHt of sight. Sofia wa,
dressed as n Turkish woman, with the sacred
veil, or yashnlak, over her face, so she would
I've safe even if any one dill see her, as the
Bulsariuns would not interfere with her any
how from fear of the Turks, and no Turk. no
matter how laaless, NouLl dare lay his hand
upon Il Turkish woman. So they jourfeyed
along, ami it took them ten days to reach The
from iei. which they crossed with thankful
hearts. In the box which the Nubian had
given Yeargio were 100 Turkish liras, about
$500. aud five handsome diamonds worth
twice as much. which made up together a
sum which these two could never lave
iasisletl in their lives under Turkish rule
Yeorgio and Sofia were then married, and
tll,y ts.ok a little farm and settled down to
lead u peaceful happy life, and they were
happy except from the longing homesickness
that hay heavy on their hearts for the home
they lIai always known, and though they had
herds and cattle, strange to say, they always
talked more of their little lean pig and
scrubby brindled cow than of all they had
now, and the memory Of them was dearer
than all.
There had been some surprise at finding
Sofas grave open and the body gone, and
also at the absence Of Yeorgio; but in that
country the belief in supernatural agencies is
so great that it was spoken OF with ava No
one knew what had really happened except
the Nuhian, and he kept his counsel
At last, after two years had passed, trav-
eler came into the village, and in the course
Of conversation he said that he had seen
Yeorcio and Sofia in small farming village
III Servia, near the border, and taey were
married and living there in great prosperitye
and i'm short time the news was spread all
over the village. and soon came to the ears OF
Rassiin Bey, who was furious, and he visited
the most terrible punishment upon the farm
ers family, who were utterly ignorant and
innocent of Sofas escape. He took every
thing they possessed and basfinadoed them
4 I'D Drove them oflt Of the yiIiage and had